The King in Yellow: The Adventures of Philip Marlowe (July 8, 1947)

“The King in Yellow” is an episode of The Adventures of Philip Marlowe, the old-time radio show, first broadcast July 8, 1947. Listen free on Stupid Potato.

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What happens

Philip Marlowe is called to the Carlton Hotel on the Sunset Strip in the middle of the night to deal with a noisy guest named King Leopold, a trumpet player in yellow pajamas. When Marlowe ejects the disruptive pair, he discovers the woman has a gun and blue bruises around her throat, suggesting she's been strangled. The mystery deepens when Marlowe learns the woman gave a false name at the hotel.

Hollywood after midnight, including the Carlton Hotel on the Sunset Strip and the Club Belvedere

Characters: Philip Marlowe, King Leopold, George Millar, Marilyn Delormay, A girl with red hair

Listen for: Marlowe's investigation into who King Leopold really is and why the mysterious woman checked into an expensive hotel under a false name with visible signs of violence.

Written from the episode itself; it never gives away the ending. Every recording is remastered for the stream: cleaned of rumble, hiss and mains hum (and the old TV whine where we found it), then levelled in two passes to steady broadcast loudness, so one show is never quieter than the next.